A Digital Marketing Agency’s “Fearless and Creative” HQ

First steps off the elevator and into the Sq1 world. Photo by Kevin Riley.

Sq1, a digital marketing agency, recently opened its renovated HQ in downtown Dallas. The space is located in the Landmark Center Building, formerly occupied by the FBI (indeed, it’s where they brought Lee Harvey Oswald after his arrest). Onto that history, Sq1 has layered some of their own, taking pains to see that the new space, with its open work areas and meeting rooms, fully reflects the companies core values: Fearless, Curious, Strategic, and Creative.

Scroll for a Q&A with Kevin Riley, Sq1’s development manager, and more photos!

This is the front entry, guarded by one of the agency’s four “core value heroes”: the fearless Hulk. Photo by Kevin Riley.

Who was the interior architect/designer?

Judge Graham and Ric Delzell; completed 2014.

What is the total square footage and square feet per person?

Just over 25,000 square feet in this office; 300 square feet per person.

How many total employees are there and what’s the daily population?

90 total in Dallas office, and the daily population is 81.

Employees at Sq1 have the option to participate in a book club, pictured here. It “unites members from all departments who come together and discuss relevant and enlightening literature, and how we may best apply it to our clients, our business, and ourselves,” said Kevin Riley, Sq1’s development manager. Photo by Kevin Riley.

What is the location’s proximity to public transportation and other amenities?

We’re one block away from the local DART train, which spans across the DFW Metroplex. We are conveniently located in the historic West End district of downtown Dallas.

“We have these in every office because we believe being active and fit are essential components to making each day a great day for our team,” said Riley. Photo by Kevin Riley.

Which furniture brands/dealers were used?

A lot of our rolling file cabinets are from Teknion and Ikea. Lots of Ikea furniture. The standing desks are by Veridesk. We love eclectic finds from online auctions, local stores, vintage treasures, and have been known to redo a thing of wood or two. We also have acquired pieces from modern boutique furniture stores in Dallas, as well as websites like All Modern and Touch of Modern.

Is there a mobile work or work-from-home policy or are most of the employees there all day every day?

Sq1 provides a flextime schedule for all employees. This allows employees to start their day between 7:00 am and 9:00 am and leave between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm as long as it’s an eight hour day.

“Looking down into our Creative room, the Strategic storyline decals [remind employees that] with solid tactics, planning, and intense devotion we are able to overcome any obstacle in an honorable manner,” said Riley.

What percentage of the space is unassigned?

None.

How is the company’s brand reflected in the space?

Our agency core values are prominently featured throughout our space. Each value has a character: “Fearless” is the Hulk, standing over 10 feet, he guards our primary entrance area. “Creative” is seen in our life-size Tobey Maguire replica. “Curious” is paired with a Hiawatha statue, and “Strategic” is all about our tactics, so the army man guides us into each new venture with laser-sharp focus.

Here, employees enjoy a “hack night” at Sq1. “It’s opportunity for team members of Sq1’s development brain trust and anyone else in the agency to go beyond client-driven projects and open the floodgates of imagination to work on something exciting, innovative, out of the box, and just plain mondo bizarro,” said Riley. Photo by Kevin Riley.

The vinyl wall decals were designed using current Sq1 Dallas inspiration, characters, wording, and themes, and then combined with a nod back to the cool origin of the original, historical space [which] housed the FBI and where they held Lee Harvey Oswald after the Kennedy assassination.

What is the most unique feature about the new space?

Giant, life-size octopi hanging from the ceiling. Or the fact that we have amazing Internet service in the old FBI soundproof/iron clad door vault!

What was the hardest aspect of change for people in moving from the former space?

Changing temperatures! One side of the office is always completely opposite in temperature than the other side of our space, no matter what the weather is like outside. Old buildings have tricky HVAC systems and ducts.

This is the “psychedelic, rock ‘n’ roll, 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea-inspired mural, with extremely large octopi hanging from the ceiling, our fearless pirate, and some of the development team,” said Riley. Photo by Kevin Riley.

Please talk about any other notable aspects of the project that make it unique.

The giant seawater mural that spans over 60 feet long was all done by local artist Jared Primm, who composed the work entirely with an airbrush machine with some free hand spray paint. He was given a blank canvas with the themes 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Beatles‘ Yellow Submarine. We have also have incorporated a historical nod to the original building tenants, the Dallas FBI. The vinyls that cover five major walls reflect Sq1, the 60s, historic Dallas, and our current great leaders. We also have a Zen room with large cushion beanbag chairs, ambient lighting, and peaceful music open to all employees anytime of the day. If they aren’t there, you might find some of them in another lounge area with treadmill desks and massaging recliners all positioned together. And our favorite notable aspect is “Dog Day Fridays”, where all four-legged canine friends join us at work.